1. Consider the following fictitious case.

After a series of terrorist attacks against American interests abroad, a terrorist organization based in the Middle East warns that it plans to conduct an attack in public places in the United States. In the past, the group has used several social media sites to spread its propaganda. The United States government has developed a secret program to monitor the group that collects all posts and activity generated on social media without obtaining an individual warrant to collect such information. The government has produced this monitoring program with the assistance of the owners of social media websites. A disgruntled former employee of one of the social media companies named James Varney decides to disclose the government’s program and the participation of his former company in the government’s collection program. After Varney’s disclosures, several civil libertarian groups allege that the government program violates the privacy of social media users, a majority of whom have no ties to international terrorism. In response to Varney’s disclosures, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary commences a meeting to explore the program.

Write your concerns about the government’s program.

2. What lessons should we have learned from 9/11? Have we taken adequate steps to ensure that a 9/11 type attack cannot happen again?

3. Will it ever is possible to accurately predict terrorist attacks, whether in the United States or elsewhere? Why or why not?